EPA Improves Transparency For New Chemicals Review Program Under TSCA
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on August 1, 2019, that it is making additional information about new chemical notices available on its website. The new web page, “Statistics for the New Chemicals Review Program under TSCA,” allows users to view and search monthly updates for any active Premanufacture Notice (PMN), Significant New Use Notice (SNUN), and Microbial Commercial Activity Notice (MCAN) of interest by case number. Users can also download a spreadsheet with a list of all active cases and each case’s status.
As reported in Bergeson & Campbell, L.L.C.’s (B&C) May 16, 2019, TSCA blog item, “EPA Updates Its New Chemical Statistics Web Page to Increase Transparency,” EPA previously presented only the number of cases in each step of the review process without identifying case numbers. According to EPA, this enhancement supplements the existing status tables describing the received date, the interim status, and final determinations for each case reviewed by EPA since the amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) were passed in 2016. The update also supports EPA’s ongoing efforts to review new chemicals submissions more efficiently “by proactively providing status updates to submitters.” EPA notes that the tool will continue to keep confidential business information confidential. B&C has prepared a memorandum on EPA’s new web page, which can be accessed here.